Application Instructions
The deadline to apply is March 1, 2009.
We encourage you to apply online. If you choose not to apply online, all application materials must be mailed or hand delivered to:
Admissions Office
Boston University School of Law
765 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
BU Law does not accept faxed application materials.
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$75 Application Fee
Applicants who do not obtain a fee waiver from LSAC, can apply for a fee waiver directly from BU Law. To request a fee waiver from us, please send an email to Kelley Curtin at kcurtin@bu.edu that describes the reason for your request.
If you apply online, you will pay the $75 application fee by credit card. If you submit a paper application, include a check or money order for $75 made payable to Boston University. The application fee is nonrefundable and is not credited toward any charges when an accepted applicant registers as a student.
Fee Waivers
BU Law accepts fee waivers approved by LSAC. To obtain a fee waiver from LSAC, you must complete either a paper or online LSAC Fee Waiver Application form. For more information about obtaining a fee waiver from LSAC, click here.
- Transcripts from all Undergraduate and Graduate Work
You must provide a transcript from each college or university attended.
Law School Data Assembly Service
All applicants must register with the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS) during the current processing year. To register with LSDAS, contact:
Law School Admissions Council
Box 2000
Newtown, PA 18940
215.968.1001
E-mail: Lsacinfo@LSAC.org
The LSDAS facilitates applications to more than one law school. A transcript from each college or university attended must be sent to LSDAS, not BU Law. LSDAS will send copies to all law schools that request them. However, transcripts for graduate work may be submitted through LSDAS or directly to BU Law.
Accepted applicants will be asked later to submit their official final transcripts for each undergraduate and graduate school attended. Final transcripts, when requested, should be sent directly to BU Law.
Students who have received undergraduate degrees outside the United States or Canada do not register with LSDAS unless a college code is listed for the degree-granting institution by the Law School Data Assembly Service. These applicants should arrange for the transmission of official transcripts directly to the School of Law Admissions Office. Transcripts must be translated to English and use a 4.0 GPA scale.
- Official Law School Admission Test (LSAT) Score Report
All applicants must take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). The February 2009 administration is the last acceptable one for candidates seeking admission to the 2009 entering class. Applicants whose test date precedes October 2003 must retake the exam. If an applicant has taken the test more than once, the highest score will be considered in admission review.
- Personal Statement
A carefully worded and detailed personal statement is an important part of your application.
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Two Letters of Recommendation
BU Law requires two letters of recommendation. At least one of your letters should come from someone who has taught you in a substantive college or postgraduate course. The Admissions Committee values letters from persons who are able to provide a thoughtful, thorough and candid assessment of an applicant’s academic ability and potential for success in law study.
Online Applications
You can apply online via the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). LSAC will send both the printed and electronic versions of your application to us.
Paper Applications
You are welcome to submit the paper application. No application will be processed unless the Application Form is completed, signed and dated.
Inaccuracy in any statement may result in revocation of an offer of admission, dismissal from the School of Law, cancellation of courses, denial of certificates of attendance, or revocation of any degrees that may have been granted.
BU Law accepts letters of recommendation sent through the LSAC letter-of-recommendation service that is part of the LSDAS Registration subscription. LSDAS will copy your letters and send them to us with your LSAT/LSDAS Report. To use this service, follow the directions for submitting letters outlined in the 2008–2009 LSAT/LSDAS Registration and Information Book. Be sure to give each recommender a Letter of Recommendation Form from the LSAT/LSDAS Registration and Information Book.
If you are not using the LSDAS service for your recommendations, you may use the recommendation forms included with these instructions. Complete the top portion of the forms and send the forms to your recommenders. Recommenders should send their letters directly to BU Law in envelopes that they have sealed and signed across
the seal.
Federal legislation gives you right of access to letters of recommendation. You may waive this right (as provided on the form). Your waiver is not required as a condition for admission or for financial aid.
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Notification of Acceptance and Deposit Payment
Applicants who are notified of acceptance on or before April 1 will be required to submit a nonrefundable tuition deposit of $200 and to fulfill other requirements by April 15 in order to reserve their places in the class. Applicants accepted after April 1 will be required to submit the deposit of $200 and other materials two weeks after the date of the acceptance letter. A second tuition deposit of $200 will be due by June 1.
Students who have applied for financial assistance will not be required to submit a deposit until after they have been notified of the disposition of their financial aid applications, provided that the FAFSA, the College Scholarship Service Profile form, and the School of Law Financial Aid Application have been fully completed (including parental information) and filed by the March 1 deadline.
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Dean's Certification
Upon admission to the School of Law, the certification of a dean or administrative officer in charge of students at the degree-granting undergraduate college or university is required. We anticipate that in many cases the dean will not know the applicant personally and will base his or her recommendation on information on school records.
The Dean’s Certification form will be sent to the admitted student with the acceptance letter. The form must be forwarded to the dean or administrative officer at the degree-granting institution, completed and mailed directly to the BU Law Admissions Office in an envelope that has been sealed and signed across the seal
In conformity with licensing standards, the issues of a disciplinary record (or absence of one) must be directly and explicitly addressed in writing. If it is not the policy of the institution to report on disciplinary action, a statement to that effect will be sufficient. Information from the Dean's Certification may result in the rescinding of the offer of admission to the School of Law.
Underrepresented Minorities
BU Law believes that law schools and the legal profession have a special obligation to promote opportunities for members of economically and otherwise disadvantaged groups who are underrepresented in the legal profession. Accordingly, BU Law seeks to attract larger numbers of men and women from such groups. We are committed to assisting under-represented minorities in financing their legal education through scholarships and loans.
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Students with Disabilities
BU Law welcomes students with disabilities. If you believe that a disability significantly influenced your GPA, LSAT or other credentials, you are invited to include information regarding your disability in an addendum to your application.
Applicants who believe their performance demonstrates excellence in light of a disability are also invited to discuss this in the Personal Statement section of the application. (It is not mandatory that this information be provided; any information that is provided will be kept confidential.) The Law School Admissions Council provides accommodated testing for the LSAT. Interested candidates should contact the LSAC directly.
Boston University Office of Disability Services will assist law students who require academic or other accommodations. They can be reached at 617.353.3658 or at access@bu.edu.
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Requirements for Admission to the Bar
If you plan to seek admission to the bar following law school, we urge you to research the state bar requirements before you enter law school. To secure information regarding character and other qualifications, contact the Board of Bar Examiners in each state in which you plan to practice.
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International Students
Citizens of foreign countries should submit our regular admission application materials, plus their scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) taken in the last two years. Successful applicants usually score at least 250 on the TOEFL (computer based) or 100 (Internet based).
We encourage foreign applicants to complete their application materials by January 1, 2009, to allow time for visa processing. For visa consideration after admission, an applicant must submit a completed Boston University International Student Data Form including supplemental financial documentation.
Please arrange for an official report of your TOEFL score to be sent to the Admissions Office from the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Information on TOEFL may be obtained from:
The Educational Testing Service
TOEFL/TSE Services
P.O. Box 6151
Princeton, NJ 08541-6151
USA
Telephone: 609.771.7100
Fax: 609.771.7500
E-mail: TOEFL@ets.org
When completing the TOEFL Score Report Request Form, enter the number 3087 in the space marked "Institution Code," and indicate that it should be sent to Boston University School of Law, Admissions Office, 765 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215.
Deferred Admission
Admitted students may be granted a one-year deferral of admission, but the number of deferrals granted is limited. Applicants must detail in writing their reasons for requesting a deferral. Deferral requests are considered on a case-by-case basis and the deadline for such requests is June 1.
Applicants whose petitions for deferral are denied must repeat the application process in order to be considered for admission the following year.
To Contact the Office of Admissions:
Boston University School of Law
Office of Admissions
765 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
617.353.3100
bulawadm@bu.edu